Remembering last used save location

Hello,

New to the forum and thought I'd ask here as I can't find an answer anywhere. When saving files to my computer in Windows 10 it would allow me to save to the last location I had saved a file to. It's not doing that now in 11. I can't find a setting to enable this. Does anyone know the answer to this?

Good to have you here. Mine does save to last saved location. Can you give an example of the scenario that does not work for you. Saving from where? What type file? From the web or a specific program? Also are you running Windows 11 release version or one of the insider builds? It really helps us to help you if you fill out your computer specs within your forum profile.

Thanks for the welcome and reply!

Ok, generally most any possibility of a save either from an internet browser or an app (ie Chrome, Edge, Photoshop, Google photos, etc.) Also, any file type doesn't matter. I constantly have to go foraging for the folder I last used from the default save folder.

Edition Windows 11 Home (clean installation, not an upgrade)
Version 21H2
OS build 22000.675
Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.22000.675.0

Let me correct my last reply because it was misleading and actually incorrect for what you want to do.

Using a word document as an example, if I open Word from it's desktop icon or the start menu, make a document, and select save, it goes straight to documents because that's the default save location I've set within Word itself.

If I use my right click menu and open Word, it will save in whatever folder I am in at the time unless I browse to wherever I want it to go. As I am usually in my documents folder to start with when I use the right click context menu and open a word document it automatically saves there. If I am elsewhere, say the desktop, and open a new document with my right click, it will automatically save to the desktop unless I either browse to the documents folder in explorer or select documents which I have pinned to the save menu in Word.

I have special folders pinned to quick access in Word which makes it easier for me to select those folders so I don't have to browse to them each time. By the same token, I also have pinned special folders in explorer for easy selection when needed when saving other types of files such as notepad.

Most apps (like Photoshop although I do not use it) have in their settings a default save location option.

For anything I get off the web (downloads, Facebook photos, etc), both my browsers have the default save location in their settings to be my downloads folder, so everything goes there automatically. Any web page I save using "save page as" within the browser goes to downloads as well.

The saving of files is by design and depends on a lot of factors and, as I can remember, it has always been this way. So if I'm reading your question correctly, I am not aware of any global way to simplify saving. I think this is one of the reasons for quick access, to make saving a little less tedious.

When I read this back it appears as clear as mud so I hope you can make some sense out of it. I'm sorry I cannot give a direct answer to your question. Maybe one of the gurus knows a way and will offer it and we can both learn something.

Thanks for trying. It's so frustrating because it's been something I've counted on in Windows for as long as I can remember. I have at least 25 or more different locations for my files due to what I do. There's no way I could pin all the locations I save to in my quick access as it would be too long a list.

nessa_nebula said:

Hello,

New to the forum and thought I'd ask here as I can't find an answer anywhere. When saving files to my computer in Windows 10 it would allow me to save to the last location I had saved a file to. It's not doing that now in 11. I can't find a setting to enable this. Does anyone know the answer to this?

Click to expand...

Hi, did you ever find a way to do this? I finally came back to pc and while I am glad to not have to use a mac anymore - i've realized i miss their filing system. I've searched everywhere trying to find out how to have the option for the last folder I saved something in to be the one that pops up when you want to save something from online. The pinned folders are annoying (even the most recent folders opened pinned are still a pain). I cannot believe this is not a thing but have been searching everywhere

Does anyone else use external hard drives to store files off computer, years ago i lost a lot of my files so i now keep them also on external HDs.

Since my new MSI computer uses USB-C ports i had to get a USB-C Hub to plug in my external HDs. that have the older USB plugs.